What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) and How Can Your Business Benefit?

By

What is Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services, or AWS, is a secure cloud services platform that offers computing power, database storage, content delivery, deployment tools and other functionality solutions that can increase your businesses flexibility and reliability while maintaining agility, lowering your IT costs, and scaling your applications.

From data warehousing to deployment tools, directories to content delivery, over 50 services are available at the click of a mouse with AWS.

Deep features such as a wide range of database engines, server configurations, encryption and powerful big data tools enable you to stay focused on your core business, and not on gathering infrastructure.

How can your business benefit?

AWS is as complex as it is powerful and there are several different solutions that can be tailored for specific cloud environments.

When used correctly, AWS can deliver greater flexibility within your business, which is why we recommend utilising the expertise of IT professionals to help you choose the right instances and tools for your applications. For example, eStorm can design redundant and secure environments as well as manage your migration and optimise your deployments.

Learn more about eStorm’s AWS support.

Rightsized for Your Size

AWS solutions can be scaled to your business needs via tailored solutions for small, medium and large corporations. Our solutions are specifically aimed at providing maximum value and cost effectiveness for your AWS environment. 

Focus on Your Applications in AWS — Not Your AWS Infrastructure

Your applications are key to the running of your business, however monitoring performance and tracking costs at the application level within AWS often requires a resource-draining effort. From architecture to monitoring, we focus and drill down on individual applications and not merely AWS infrastructure.

One option we provide is a monthly report card that delivers you the relevant data required to keep costs in line with your business objectives.

Customised Control: The Right Way to do Managed AWS

Our approach to AWS allows for custom managed services delegation. This means that if you want to keep some AWS tasks in-house, we are able to facilitate that. Alternatively, you are can unburden yourself and put it on our plate, from infrastructure management to the convenience of having us as a single billing contact for all your AWS services. Our mission is to lighten your load and give you back the time needed to innovate and grow your business with the assurance that you’re always in control.

Hybrid — The Future is Flexible

Our comprehensive portfolio of infrastructure solutions gives you the agility to optimise architecture as your workloads, security concerns and compliance requirements evolve. Moving to a hybrid solution can simultaneously optimise AWS deployment performance and contain costs.

If you’d like to find out exactly how we can help your business, or if you require any further information, assistance with your IT needs or you simply don’t know where to start – please feel free to call us on (07) 3120 0640 or email us at [email protected]

What Is A Virtual CIO & How Can It Help Reduce Costs and Achieve Greater Competitive Advantage?

By

Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, wouldn’t be able to do half the incredible things he does without his artificial intelligence system named J.A.R.V.I.S.

J.A.R.V.I.S. is forward-thinking, always assessing the risks, prepared for when disaster strikes and essential to Iron Man’s success.

What if your business had a J.A.R.V.I.S.? What if you had someone guiding you in the right direction, that allowed you to focus on moving forward and empowered you to do more?

Iron Man Heads Up Display

This is where a Virtual CIO comes in.

What exactly is a Virtual CIO?

A Virtual CIO is an outsourced role that combines the tasks managed and maintained by chief information officers, chief technology officers and technology consultants.

Virtual CIOs are responsible for providing technological leadership, as well as developing and managing strategic and forward-thinking systems and infrastructure that is designed to accomplish the organisation’s overall business objectives, as well as improve organisational scalability and agility. While their decisions encompasses technology, they are also involved in decision making that supports the long-term growth and strategy of the business with a focus on bridging the gap between small business and large enterprise.

What are the benefits of a Virtual CIO?

  • You gain the knowledge, skills and expertise of an entire team of IT professionals
  • Cost reduction: a Virtual CIO makes it possible for SMEs to access the IT capabilities and expertise of the largest organisations without the significant cost of a permanent CIO.
  • Competitive advantage: as we are across relevant and timely industry and technological changes, we are able to provide trusted, informed and effective planning and advice to stay ahead of your competition.
  • Thorough assessment and audit of your overall IT process and configuration policies, as well as providing guidance on the most effective changes that will promote secure and cost effective networks.
  • Development of strategic IT goals that align with wider business goals.
  • Partnership based: we love to immerse ourselves in your business and invest in your success in order to provide you with maximum benefit (our level of input in your business is entirely up to you).
  • IT planning, budgets, staffing, business continuity and disaster recovery processes.
  • Involvement: on-site visits and support, as well as management and planning meeting attendance to stay up-to-date with your business.
  • Proactive monitoring, measurement and maintenance of IT health and security with a focus on keeping data safe, secure and accessible. 
  • Design: we are able to design and implement tailored solutions for your needs.
  • Consultation and troubleshooting.

You can learn what a Virtual CIO service is and how they can be tailored to your organisation’s size and needs.

If you’d like any further information, assistance with your IT needs or you simply don’t know where to start – please feel free to call us on (07) 3120 0640 or email us at [email protected]

Its Never Been A Better Time To Join The Microsoft Ecosystem

By

As team collaboration tools and services become ever more important in facilitating teamwork and communication within organisations of all sizes, recent reports claim that Microsoft could be adding a free tier to their Microsoft Teams service.

Microsoft Teams is a digital platform that combines conversations, workplace chat, meetings, notes, apps and attachments in one place. The service integrates with Microsoft’s Office 365 productivity suite, including Microsoft Office and Skype, as well as featuring extensions that can integrate with non-Microsoft products, to create collaborative communities.

Microsoft_Teams_banner

According to recent reports, the latest developer preview version of Teams has several references to a ‘freemium tier’, which would see a free offering of the service to those who aren’t Office 365 subscribers. While the free version of Teams will have certain limitations, there has never been a better time to see if Office 365 is the right fit for you or your organisation’s needs. This is particularly important if you are a sole user of Skype for Business – now is a great time to make the switch as Microsoft are beginning to take action with the aim of making Teams a one-stop-shop for all your meeting needs within Office 365, including rolling Skype for Business into Teams.

At eStorm we work closely with you to determine how your business can benefit from Microsoft Office 365 solutions, as well as help you to choose the right plan that makes sense for you and your needs. If you are not currently an Office 365 user, you’re considering making the switch to Office 365, or you simply don’t know where to start – please feel free to call us on (07) 3120 0640 or email us at [email protected]